Mon May 12 08:29:30 UTC 2025: ## Burkina Faso Military Accused of Mass Killing of Civilians
**Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso –** Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Burkina Faso’s government forces of killing at least 100 Fulani civilians in March near the western town of Solenzo. The report, released May 12, 2025, details eyewitness accounts and social media videos implicating special forces and members of the pro-government militia, the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDP), in the massacre. The victims were predominantly Fulani, a pastoralist community the government has accused of supporting Islamist militants.
While the government previously denied involvement, HRW’s investigation, which included interviews with survivors and analysis of social media footage, concludes that the military’s actions constituted mass killings. These killings were followed by retaliatory attacks by the jihadist group JNIM, resulting in further civilian deaths.
The attacks, which began on February 27th and lasted until April 2nd, involved hundreds of government troops and drones. Survivors described horrific scenes of indiscriminate shooting, with many women and children killed. Following the attacks, hundreds of Fulani fled to neighboring Mali.
HRW’s senior Sahel researcher, Ilaria Allegrozzi, stated that the viral videos only revealed a fraction of the atrocities. The organization calls for an impartial investigation and prosecution of those responsible. Burkina Faso authorities have yet to comment on the report.
The incident highlights the escalating security crisis in Burkina Faso, where over 60% of the country is outside government control, and millions are in need of humanitarian assistance. Analysts suggest that the junta’s strategy of military escalation and the use of poorly trained militias have exacerbated ethnic tensions. The government’s control over information, coupled with de facto censorship, makes accurate assessments of the situation extremely difficult.
First Piper 